Memories of a Lost Love
by Dumbledores Doll
Summary: It's been 15 years since Albus and Minerva were together...will things ever again be as they once were?


A/N: Another little 'angsty' (I think) thing I found on my computer. It was originally intended to be more than a one shot, but I'm not so sure. Please let me know what you think; reviews are always appreciated! :)

Still don't own Albus and Minerva...except in my addled little mind.

'Well, to be honest, it did go better than I expected!' Albus could barely hide his laughter as he drained the last of the whiskey from his glass, setting it down on the table with a soft thud.

'You think so, do you?' Minerva responded. 'Apparently, you missed the fact that our Potions Master left the room a particularly unattractive shade of red, mumbling something about, 'idiotic Herbology teachers that couldn't manage to grow **UP**, let alone grow plants with any useful qualities.' She too had finished the last of her whiskey, and gently thrust the glass in Albus' direction. 'Fill it up, Albus. I'm not ready to leave, yet.'

Albus took the glass, and seemed to contemplate his response as he refilled it. 'You're not? I don't suppose you would like to-'

'-That ship sailed a long time ago, Albus. You know that.' She had interrupted him, though not as forcefully as she once would have, when he dared bring up the 'unmentionable topic'.

'I suppose it has,' he sighed. 'Still, I **do** think about it…sometimes. Do you, Minerva? Do you ever think about when we were…**us**?' Instead of pushing the glass back across the table to her, he handed it to her, taking great care not to release it until she would look him in the eye.

'I do…sometimes,' she admitted, finally meeting his gaze after several unsuccessful attempts to wrest the glass from his grip without having to look at him. 'Particularly when I'm in a room where we…you know. Here, for instance.' She let her gaze sweep across his elegantly furnished sitting room. They had come back to his rooms tonight after the rather impromptu staff meeting with Severus and Pomona. Albus hadn't really invited her back here; they had sort of fallen into it. He had offered her a brief detour as he walked her back to herrooms. 'Or when I have to go to the Astronomy tower. Or the Forbidden Forest. Or Hogsmeade…Flourish and Blotts…the broom cupboard on the third floor…the showers off the Quidditch pitch…when I see the Hogwarts Express… Oh!' She leaned forward with a rather wicked grin on her face. 'And especially when I see a pair of handcuffs!'

Albus had leaned forward as well, but instead of smiling back at her, he had a rather bemused look on his face. 'Sorry my dear. I don't believe that was me. Maybe one of your other hangers-on?'

'It was **too** you…and you know I don't have any 'hangers-on',' she replied disdainfully. 'That's **your** department. I suppose you must have forgotten Halloween 1957 then?'

'I'm afraid I've had a lot on my mind, recently,' he chuckled. 'Why not refresh my memory?'

'I honestly can't believe you don't remember this! It was my first Halloween here as a teacher, and the Flamel's had invited you to their annual Halloween party. **YOU **decided that it would be fun to dress up as Harry Houdini and his wife, for some odd reason. ' She imitated Albus with a fairly accurate impersonation. 'Come, Minerva…it'll be fun! I **KNEW **Houdini, you know.' Here she changed back to her normal voice. 'As if **THAT** was going to convince me to follow along with another one of your asinine suggestions.'

'I **did **know him, though.' Albus replied smugly. 'I met him in 1912. Helped him perfect his 'Chinese Water Torture Cell', you know.'

'What a load of sh-'

'-But I **did**,' It was Albus who interrupted her, for once. 'I showed you the photo. And I remember now; the fellow who sold me the handcuffs assured me that they were perfectly normal, and that it took nothing more than 'Alohomora' to undo them. I am sorry that it took me a while to get them off.'

'Are you?' Minerva queried, taking the opportunity to refill not only her glass at this point, but his as well. 'I seem to recall that it took you **THREE DAYS** to undo them. You didn't seem to mind at bedtime,' she pointed out, 'though to be fair, neither did I. It did give us an excuse to be together. Though it was more than a bit embarrassing during my classes, and probably even more so at your meetings with the Minister.'

'Come now, it wasn't that bad,' Albus laughed. 'At least we got to be together. Now that I think of it, I should have tried harder to keep them on. I'll bet we could have gone another week at least.'

'I should have known that you did it on purpose,' she retorted dryly. 'I always suspected it, you know.'

'I will leave you to your thoughts then,' he responded. 'I'll never tell you the truth either way. That will drive you mad!'

Instantly, Minerva's good humor seemed to disappear. 'That was the problem though, wasn't it? Not that you didn't tell me the truth…just that you didn't tell me **ANYTHING**.'

Albus had sobered up as well. 'I told you what I could, my dear. You know that. There is **NO **one that I trusted more; then **OR** now. I just couldn't tell you everything; for your own safety. If anything had happened to you-'

'-I don't like being kept in the dark Albus – you know that. I never did.' She drained the last bit of whiskey from her glass, and stood up. 'I really must go now, Albus. Goodnight, thank you for the whiskey…and for the trip down memory lane. It was…interesting.'

'Please don't go…I love you!' He blurted out. It had been 15 years since had last said those words to her, and he had to admit that as wrong as his timing now seemed, he was glad that he got them out. 'I always have…it will never change.' Albus would never admit it to anyone but himself, but he was desperate to get Minerva back.

'And I love you too, Albus.' Minerva went to his side, and pressed a soft kiss to his cheek. 'It hasn't changed for me, either. But I must go, and I will, because while my feelings for you haven't changed, it's just been too long. Remember what I said? That ship has sailed. Goodnight,' she finished, pushing past him and sweeping through the door.

Albus slumped down in his chair, emotions flooding through him. He was elated that she still loved him…and despondent that she seemed determined never to take him back.

But Albus Dumbledore was nothing if not determined.


End file.
